7:28 PM: Chairman Scott Baugh discusses the importance of candidates stepping up at all times not just around the candidates’ own elections.

7:29 PM: At the request of Chairman Scott Baugh, Orange County Board of Education Trustee Robert Hammond discussed being at the County School Boards Association meeting where the attendees complained low voter turnout will allow “the Republicans from Orange County to defeat Prop 30 and Prop 38.”

7:30 PM: Baugh describes the 13 open OC GOP GOTV HQs and mentions 3 more are on the way.

7:31 PM: Baugh speaks of the Costa Mesa Charter Amendment being a priority of the Republican Party.

7:33 PM: Committee Alternate Bill Dunlap speaks of the importance of getting out the vote. Only 26% of OC voters cast their ballots in June. He describes a number of party-sponsored get-out-the-vote efforts.

7:36 PM: Baugh delivers the 1st Vice Chair’s report on behalf of John Warner: the report included information about the next countywide precinct walk as well as information about Congressman John Campbell agreeing to fund a GOTV headquarters in the City of Orange.

7:38 PM: Fullerton RWF President Beverly Gunter speaks of RWF’s efforts to fundraise, phone bank, and precinct walk for candidates. She presents a $900 check from RWF to subsidize

7:39 PM: My boss from my day job, Chris Norby, speaks of his race for re-election.

Endorsements Committee Report

7:41 PM: Endorsements Committee Chair Mark Bucher begins his long-awaited report. He speaks of Prop 32’s 55%-37% lead despite “Yes on Prop 32” not starting any advertising until today while “No on Prop 32” had been pounding away for a month. He also speaks of the finances of the Prop 32 battle.

7:43 PM: Now he actually begins his long-awaited report on endorsements…

7:44 PM: Bucher thanks fellow Endorsements Committee Members Chandra Chell, Thomas Gordon, Ray Grangoff, Matt Harper, and Mary Young. He describes the endorsement procedures and goes over the list. (Here’s the list again. Here and here are the live blogs of those meetings.)

7:48 PM: Parliamentarian Kermit Marsh says the Endorsements Committee may not recommend a dual endorsement while the Central Committee can make a dual endorsement (in reference to the contest between Brett Franklin and Charles Hart for Santa Ana City Council, Ward 3).

8:04 PM: Harkey speaks of being dragged through the mud in politics. She states many lies have been spread about Allevato. She says there are five high schools in San Juan Capistrano: one public and four private. She speaks of heavy congestion from the proximity of the schools. She gets booed when she attempts to speak over time.

8:07 PM: Baugh reiterates the time limits.

8:08 PM: Pauly speaks of the controversy about the tax on religious schools and the property tax increases. She speaks of the importance of following the process in which the endorsements committee recommended delaying consideration of San Juan Capistrano City Council until October.

8:10 PM: In an unusual action, Harkey speaks again in favor of Allevato since no one else is planning to speak in support of him. She speaks of the debt and septic issues in the City of San Juan Capistrano.

8:19 PM: In response to a question, Allevato defends the tax on the religious school as a student impact fee that the school agreed to pay. He goes on to explain the intricacies of student impact fees in San Juan Capistrano.

8:23 PM: Harkey asks Allevato to explain various land use decisions.

8:24 PM: Allevato speaks of various issues related to sewage costs from a plant in San Juan Capistrano.

8:26 PM: Baugh states it looks like the committee is not supportive of the motion to endorse Allevato.

8:26 PM: Harkey says he wants to go for it, and his wishes should be respected.

8:27 PM: Allevato says he (and Ginny Kerr) answered his questionnaire on time and got his signatures. Allevato says the other candidates failed to do so.

8:27 PM: Bartlett moves and John Draper seconds a substitute motion to delay to October (restoring the Endorsement Committee’s original recommendation).

8:28 PM: By voice vote, the committee refers the Allevato endorsement back to the Endorsements Committee.

8:30 PM: Former CRP Chair Ron Nehring praises the OC GOP. He praises the efforts of the OC GOP on behalf of Assemblyman Allan Mansoor and Costa Mesa Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer. He speaks of watching the DNC. He praises Mitt Romney and blasts Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He begins to introduce Elizabeth Emken by speaking of the importance of fighting for every seat from Mosquito Abatement District to U.S. Senate.

8:33 PM: Emken demands that Feinstein discuss her record. Emken speaks of her own education and financial background. She speaks of her efforts on behalf of her autistic son and other autistic children. She speaks of her efforts to lobby Congress. She says, “Obamacare is bad for everyone.” She challenged Feinstein to debate and notes even the LA Times says Emken deserves the right to debate Feinstein. She says the LA Daily News and the OC Register agree. She says 123,000 people have seen the footage from ABC 7 in Los Angeles of Feinstein refusing to agree to debate. Emken asks for money and plugs her web site.

Santa Ana City Council, Ward 3 – Brett Franklin and Charles Hart

8:41 PM: There was a quick discussion that although the Endorsements Committee did not have the power to recommend a dual endorsement in Santa Ana City Council, Ward 3, that the Central Committee does have that power and so both Brett Franklin and Charles Hart are endorsed.

8:42 PM: Baugh asks for a vote again just to make sure. The Central Committee votes unanimously to endorse both Franklin and Hart.

Irvine City Council – Lynn Schott

8:43 PM: Baugh speaks of the 25-year inability of the Republican Party to remove Larry Agran from the Irvine City Council. He speaks of the OC GOP prioritizing Costa Mesa this year. Baugh asks Lynn Schott about her former alternate Patrick Rodgers who attacked the Costa Mesa Council majority and the Costa Mesa Charter.

8:46 PM: Schott says Rodgers was a strong supporter in 2010. She says she was completely unaware of Rodgers’s statements until the Endorsements Committee meeting. She says she tries to not read blogs. She condemns Rodgers’s statements and “repudiates” the attempt to frame Righeimer for DUI. Rodgers admitted to her that he had gone too far. She obtained his resignation on September 7 (the same week that she learned of his statements). She says she fully supports Prop 32 and opposes the unions’ efforts to “consolidate their power over choosing City Councilmembers” and other governmental bodies. She says she is against defined benefit retirement programs and favors defined contribution retirement programs.

8:51 PM: Schott is endorsed by a unanimous voice vote.

Orange City Measure FF

8:51 PM: Villa Park Councilwoman Deborah Pauly speaks of being contacted by numerous Republicans expressing their concerns about Measure FF. Pauly says the “No on FF” side did not get a chance to speak to the Endorsements Committee. She says thousands of Republicans, independents, and Democrats signed a petition to get a referendum to force FF on to the ballot. She says this is an issue that is divisive to Republicans, and she moves that the Republican Party take no stance on Measure FF.

8:54 PM: Orange Mayor Pro Tem Denis Bilodeau speaks of the landowner wishing to build 36 homes on 50 acres of land on a 4-1 vote, who he notes the 1 is a Democrat who is receiving bundled campaign contributions from “No on FF.” Bilodeau says it is a property rights issue and makes a substitute motion to endorse Measure FF (reverting to the original recommendation from the Endorsements Committee).

8:57 PM: Marcia Gilchrist speaks in favor of Bilodeau’s substitute motion. She says the people objecting to the construction of the homes are trying to impeded a property owner from doing what they want with their own land.

8:58 PM: By voice vote, the OC GOP endorses “Yes on Measure FF.”

Fullerton City Council – Jennifer Fitzgerald

9:00 PM: Tim Whitacre moves to not endorse Jennifer Fitzgerald for Fullerton City Council, with Allan Bartlett seconding. He speaks of Barry Levinson’s efforts on behalf of Fullerton. He says Levinson is no longer seeking the party endorsement to prevent divisiveness in the OC GOP. Whitacre provides an email showing Fitzgerald asking Tony Bedolla on behalf of her client (Troy Edgar) to bundle $99 contributions from union members.

9:03 PM: County Supervisor Shawn Nelson speaks of being the only person in the room to face $1.2 million in hostile union IEs. He speaks of the 2002 successful effort to drive Democrat Jan Flory off the Fullerton City Council, but Flory is running again. Nelson speaks of her history working for Republicans. Nelson says he previously supported Levinson, but Levinson has made two unsuccessful bids for Fullerton Council. He notes a conservative woman has not been elected to the Fullerton City Council since 1986.

9:06 PM: Baugh notes that in the OC GOP union-free pledge, the party welcomes contributions of individual union members but not of the union itself.

9:07 PM: Fullerton Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Whitaker notes that his city has had two recalls in two decades. He says there is an opportunity for Fullerton right now. He says he has a bias in favor of activism. He says Republicans should have bold colors not pale pastels. Whitaker expresses his concern about her relative lack of public statements on issues other than outsourcing the Fullerton Police Department to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Whitaker urges OC GOP neutrality between Fitzgerald and Levinson.

9:09 PM: My Central Committee member arrives, so my alternate voting power is gone. I now only wear one hat as your intrepid blogger.

9:10 PM: Mary Young speaks of knowing Fitzgerald for 19 years. She says if someone is an activist for 17 years but is gone for 2 years, that 2 years of inactivity does not outweigh the 17 years of activism.

9:11 PM: By voice vote, the committee did something. No one is sure what happened.

9:12 PM: There is now a standing vote.

9:15 PM: The count is 31 people voting in favor of the party being neutral between Fitzgerald and Levinson, and 23 people voting in favor of endorsing Fitzgerald.

There is no endorsement for Fullerton City Council, other than incumbents Bruce Whitaker and Travis Kiger, who were endorsed in August.

Anaheim City Council – Brian Neil Chuchua

9:16 PM: Tim Whitacre moves to endorse Brian Chuchua, with Baron Night seconding. Whitacre notes Lodge opted to withdraw his own endorsement request. Whitacre warns of the union’s big push in Anaheim. He says that Mayor Tom Tait needs all the help he can get. He says Tait lobbied the party to not endorse Lodge. Whitacre praises Chuchua as a good conservative who can help Mayor Tait.

9:22 PM: Tim Whitacre says he has been reimbursed by Chuchua for various expenses related to Chuchua’s campaign.

9:23 PM: There is a standing vote. There are 29 votes in favor of endorsing Chuchua, and there are 11 votes against endorsing Chuchua. Chuchua joins Lucille Kring as the OCGOP-endorsed candidates for Anaheim City Council.

Jesse Petrilla Returns

9:26 PM: Rancho Santa Margarita Councilman Jesse Petrilla is given a standing ovation after returning within the last week from his service with the Army National Guard in Afghanistan.

Mission Viejo City Council

9:28 PM: Baugh reads the minutes from the Endorsements Committee, though several Central Committee members ask me if Baugh is reading this post since the minutes sounds a lot like OC Political.

9:33 PM: Larry Gilbert brings up various documents and exhibits showing Frank Ury backing Democrat Dave Leckness and Wendy Bucknum with a union-paid sign in her yard, with her support for Leckness and Trish Kelley, neither of whom were endorsed by the OC GOP. (Scott Voigts says, “Wow” throughout Gilbert’s remarks.) Gilbert shows a campaign finance report showing Ury linked to Democrats.

9:36 PM: Baugh has to ask Gilbert to leave the stage after Parliamentarian Kermit Marsh repeatedly stated that Gilbert’s time was up.

9:37 PM: Young argues Leckness has a conservative voting record and that activist Shirley Morgan had tried repeatedly to make Leckness re-register as a Republican. Young asks what in Leckness’s voting record is not conservative.

9:38 PM: Bill Dunlap says the party should not pick between winners and losers because there are two spots and four Republicans seeking the seat.

9:39 PM: In response to an audience question, Baugh notes there are four Republicans among the six candidates.

9:39 PM: Peotter moves for no endorsement in Mission Viejo, and there is a near-unanimous voice vote for the OC GOP to be neutral in Mission Viejo.

9:44 PM: A representative speaks of a charter commission that amended various charter provisions seeking to update 58 year old language, streamline government, and reduce costs by eliminating class-action lawsuits.

9:49 PM: Miraculously, Deborah Pauly and Jon Flesichman unite to make and second a motion to send Measure EE to the Endorsements Committee in October. The Central Committee applauses stunned that Pauly and Flesichman are united. They vote unanimously to support the Pauly-Fleischman motion.

9:57 PM: Zonya Townsend presents the Volunteer of the Month Award to Shalon Norman. Various other people make presentations to Norman.

10:03 PM: Parliamentarian Kermit Marsh is pleased to report there have been no ethics complaints so far in 2012. Marsh disputes the election polls, and notes the 21-14 football victory of #21 Stanford over #2 USC.

10:05 PM: There’s a report from Diane Glinchey regarding the Romney campaign efforts in OC and in several swing states.

10:07 PM: Ronea Hart speaks of the Team Santa Ana precinct walk at the Santa Ana GOP GOTV HQ and the Santa Ana TEA Party meeting.

10:08 PM: One speaker notes today is the 225th anniversary of the Constitution.

10:09 PM: Steve Sarkis reports on his discoveries of enormous signs for “No on 32” being delivered to a union hall.

Tim Whitacresaid

Tom Double-Standardsaid

Why do you duck this, Tim? Everyone knows it is true. Man up and explain why it is Ok for Tim Whitacre to work for government unions, but wrong foor a fundraising consultant to help a client raise funds from individual firefighters?

Tim Whitacresaid

Good, basic overview of the meeting. I know you can’t get every remark in your posting, however I think one needs to be added because it’s an important point and it came after this – “9:06 PM: Baugh notes that in the OC GOP union-free pledge, the party welcomes contributions of individual union members but not of the union itself.”

I made a point of information to his note and agreed individual union members can and should be encouraged to contribute but I stressed there was a big difference in what Jennifer Fitzgerald did. She didn’t go to individual members at all – she went to the Political Director of one of the largest unions in the county and asked him to bundle $99 contributions for her client.

…Asking anyone – let alone a union Political Director – to bundle untraceable money under the table implies one doesn’t care how or where the money comes from as long as there is plausible deniability as to any legal or ethical wrong doing. In other words, they don’t want accountability for their actions.

Lastly, at 9:07, Bruce Whitaker didn’t ask for neutrality; he asked for a ‘No’ vote against Jennifer Fitzgerald . He was crystal clear in his preference of Barry Levinson being elected. Greg Seborne was there and was prepared to speak in support of Barry as well.

The ensuing, almost 2/3rd majority vote against Jennifer, was a clear message for those seeking to impose their outside will against the Republican Incumbents on Fullerton City Council who fought hard for the Recall – “Butt out!”

Whitacre Whitewashsaid

Did Whitacre disclose his interest in Fullerton? Could it be he was paid over $60,000 by Tony Bushala to collect signatures to qualify recall petitions earlier this year? Berardino & Bushala — wow. Slippery dude.

Kettle Blacksaid

Tim forgot to mention that he is getting paid by Barry Levinson and was paid to do the Fullerton Recall. So to rant about activism and integrity while being paid by those interests is quite hypocritical.

Tom Double-Standardsaid

Still waiting for Tim to disclose his big OCEA payday to the committee.

And Tim’s spin aside, Barry didn’t drop going after the endorsement in order to avoid “division” in the party. It was because he didn’t have a prayer to getting it, so the next best thing was to deny it to Jennifer Fitzgerald.

I was theresaid

It was pretty clear to me and others in that crowed room that Tim was spot on in exposing Fitzgerald and explaining Fullerton. Let’s look at the results: 31 committee members in a public venue agreed with Tim (2 of which are sitting Fullerton Councilmembers) and voted “no endorsement” for Fitzgerald. Compared to 2 nameless hacks who attack Tim without substance on a blog. I’d say Tim has called you out in public and it’s you 2 doing the spinning.

Cynthia Wardsaid

I am still lost on how Tim is a hypocrite. We have a pack of Anaheim leaders who did the hypocritical thing. While claiming to be conservatives they gave away (up to) $158 million in public funds to a single developer (notice how the 20% portion that helps Disney offset the bond repayment they are on the hook for was not up for grabs?) they gave that deal to someone who is still so underwater he has not yet produced a funding source, and I will bet that their buddy, the lobbyist for the developer, got his percentage whether the deal is funded or not. Anyone know for sure? I would bet he still got his 1% (or whatever deal he got) the second the vote was approved by those leaders he helped put into office, no matter what else happens. Methinks the only jobs being created by that Gardenwalk deal are in the offices of Pringle and Associates, but that is just my opinion.

In reaction to that very not-conservative giveaway of future tax revenues, money the Resort crowd used to promote as “preserving vital city services” , a coalition of residents, business owners, and yes-a labor union-pulled together to create a vehicle to ensure that future taxpayer revenues would not end up in the pockets of special interests again. Tim Whitacre worked his tail off, in his professional field, in a fair exchange of fair market labor for fair market payment, in order to try facilitating that Initiative. If I recall correctly the Initiative process is still a valid and acceptable means of allowing citizens to address a dispute with their elected leaders. Now what part of this is hypocritical or not conservative?

Tom Double-Standardsaid

It’s pretty simple, Cynthia. Tim Whitacre attacked Jennifer Fitzgerald the other night because she, as a professional political fundraiser, raised money for her client from members of the county firefighters union (as individuals, I might add).

That’s hypocritical because Whitacre, as a professional petition circulation consultant, hired himself to a public employee union to help qualify an initiative, to the tune of $60K-plus.

If you cannot see why it is hypocritical for Whitacre to impugn Fitzgerald, then we can’t help you.

Kettle Blacksaid

Cynthia I was calling Tim a hypocrite for railing against Jennifer Fitzgerald for doing fundraising for a client by asking individuals for donations, and complainingthey were union members. All the while taking money from whoever is willing to give it to him. Tim was also consulted on doing a recall of Costa Mesa Councilmembers before the unions abandoned that endeavor. He also holds this arrogant demeanor of self-righteousness acting like the moral authority on everything, when he himself is the most corrupt figure individual in OCGOP politics. To further insult those who are in the unfortunate position of listening to him speak he shamelesslyparades his marine service as a shield from criticism.

I was theresaid

Oh look, the nameless hack is using both of his fake names to try and add legitimacy to his personal attack on Tim. Yes, I was there Monday witnessing your insider candidate Jennifer Fitzgerald getting soundly exposed and rejected by the committee and by the 2 sitting Councilmembers in Fullerton.

But hey, I guess the 31 members who voted against Jennifer Fitzgerald are hypocrites too since they all know Tim and voted with him anyway – That’s not a great way to make friends and influence people for your rejected candidate. LOL!

Tom Double-Standardsaid

Tom Double-Standardsaid

Oh please. Such B.S. The only hypocrisy being exposed is Tim Whitacre’s. Tell us why it is wrong for Fitzgerald, in her professional capacity as a fund-raiser, to help her client (a Republican) solicit donations from individual firefighters, but it is A-OK for Whitacre to hire himsefl out to the OCEA public employee union to work with a left-wing Democrat to push their pet political agenda?

I was theresaid

Using Tim’s own words from above –
“…there was a big difference in what Jennifer Fitzgerald did. She didn’t go to individual members at all – she went to the Political Director of one of the largest unions in the county and asked him to bundle $99 contributions for her client.

…Asking anyone – let alone a union Political Director – to bundle untraceable money under the table implies one doesn’t care how or where the money comes from as long as there is plausible deniability as to any legal or ethical wrong doing. In other words, they don’t want accountability for their actions.”

Bam! Head shot! By the way, even the union Political Director exposed her by releasing her email to him asking him to do something potentially illegal or under the table. In fact, in that email, 2 union members went to her client’s event and didn’t give one dime which obviously prompted her confidential email to him.

Tom Double-Standardsaid

Hhhmm, but why is it OK for Tim Whitacre to take money from government unions, presumably working with the OCEA’s political director, unless he was working directly with Nick Berardino, but Fitzgerald working with a union political director is wrong?

Tim aka I Was There, you keep avoiding that elephant in the room. (BTW, I’m not Kettle Black). Allan Bartlett, why do you ignore Tim’s work with the OCEA?

Allan Bartlettsaid

You conveniently left out that she sent the email to Tony Bedolla, The Firemen’s union political director, not individual members. The whole thing is irrelevant because everyone knew that there was not going to be an endorsement in this race. There used to be a time when you could just rely on your insider connections to get these endorsements almost 100% of the time. Luckily those days are now gone.

Cynthia Wardsaid

Whitacre was doing a job and was doing it out in the open, he exchanged his labor (within the context of his professional field) for pay, with no attempt to hide what he was doing or who he was doing it for.

While Fitzgerald appears to also have been acting in her professional capacity, she was not exchanging labor for those union dollars, she was instead collecting money from union members on behalf of a client. There is not fair exchange of labor for union money there, but instead an exchange of candidate money for union dollars to the campaign-AND (for me the breaking point) there also seems to have been some attempt to hide the source of the money, by asking for $99 donations to avoid the reporting benchmark.

It also sounds like money was bundled directly through a labor leader, so while they may have been individual checks, it is not the same as individual donations. What Baugh mentioned hints at local residents who just happen to be union workers exercising their right to support the candidate of their choice. Not what I think we see here, not at all.

I am sorry, I do not see it the way y’all are calling it, but I was not there and I do not know the candidates involved so I should probably butt out, I just hate seeing Tim Whitacre beaten up when I believe him to be an honorable man. My 2 cents. From the outside looking in I do not think this was a comparable situation.

Kettle Blacksaid

What about the fact that Tim tried to get a contract to run a recall of Jim Righeimer and other Costa Mesa Councilmemebers on behalf of the OCEA? He’s a total fraud and sellout, willing to take money from the highest, or lowest…or any bidder. He is barely one step ahead of a carney. He got up and ranted about Fitzgerald’s attempts to raise money from individual members of unions, while neglecting he is taking money from her opponent.

[…] in her campaign account, three and a half months after accepting it a and almost a month after getting the OC GOP endorsement. Kring is saying she’ll return now that it has been made public, but what if it hadn’t […]